Horseshoes come in a variety of size and shapes depending upon the type of horse and the work for which the horse is to be used. Generally, horseshoes are U-shaped and conform to the circumference of the hoof with two branches emanating from the toe area and projecting beyond the heel. The shoes are preferably as light as the activity anticipated and are affixed to the hoof with as few nails as possible.
In the formation of the shoe from a material such as steel, the inside edge of the shoe has a tendency to swell to compensate for the reduced area. This swelling, if not removed can cause excess pressure on the inside of the white line of the horses hoof and cause soreness as well as other problems. To combat this, the inside edge of shoes of the prior art have been leveled on their sole facing side. In addition, some shoes of the prior art have the inside edge of the sole facing side beveled slightly so as to cause a small air gap between the inside edge of the sole facing side of the shoe and the sole when the shoe is place flush on the hoof. Further, this was done to reduce the error due to poor fitting shoes and to place more of the horses weight on the outside edge of the shoe. This slight beveling is known in the trade as "concave". However, such concave shoes are applied to a static horse. When the horse is in motion, the gap tends not to be adequate for most horses, particularly sport horses, because the solar surface descends during motion to a greater extent than has been accommodated by prior art shoes. Thus shoes of the prior art can bruise and injure the sole, interfering with work and enjoyment of the horse.
Traditionally, nail placement has extended from the toe area to beyond the widest part of the quarters. Such nail placement can interfere with normal hoof expansion of the working sport horse. Additionally, prior art shoes generally do not give the farrier choice of pitch through which to place the nail. Nail apertures traditionally descend vertically through the shoe at ninety degrees. Accurate nail placement is a further aspect of a horseshoe which can aid or hinder in the overall performance of the sport horse. Nail placement is critical to the shape of the natural hoof capsule. That is, the normal hoof requires steeper pitch in the toe than the heel.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a horseshoe designed for the particular needs of the working horse. Such a shoe would be light in weight, a factor important to the horse's movement, speed, soundness and maximum performance without sacrificing durability. Additionally, such a shoe would substantially reduce pressure on the sole of the hoof in motion as well as providing a design of nail apertures which gives the farrier greater latitude in nail placement to accommodate the needs of the toe and heel and particular hoof idiosyncrasies.